One Third Of Americans Correctly Identify McDonalds As Official Olympic Sponsor: Pepsi Incorrectly Identified By 21%

Which of the following brands do you think are official sponsors of the 2014 Winter Olympics? (PRNewsFoto/YouGov)

Which of the following brands do you think are official sponsors of the 2014 Winter Olympics? (PRNewsFoto/YouGov)

NEW YORK, Feb. 5, 2014 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- According to the latest research from YouGov, when asked which brands they thought were official sponsors of the 2014 Winter Olympics, McDonalds came out on top among Americans with 32% correctly identifying the brand as an official sponsor of the event. Coca Cola (29%) and Visa (26%) also achieved a high degree of recognition as official games sponsors.

For those who take an interest in the Winter Olympics, nearly 2 out of 5 respondents (39%) were able to identify McDonalds as an official sponsor. 37% of those interested correctly identified Coca Cola, and a third (33%) identified Visa as an official sponsors.

Although Pepsi is not a sponsor, 21% of Americans, thought the brand was one of the official sponsors of the Sochi Olympics. Nearly 3 out of 10 (27%) of those interested in the sporting event thought that Pepsi was an official sponsor. Nike, which is not a global sponsor but, along with Ralph Lauren, is one of the official US Olympic team outfitters, was identified as sponsor by 21% of Americans, and 27% of those who stated they were interested in the games. Nike and Pepsi have an almost identical association with the event despite Pepsi lacking Olympic sponsorship deals.

Who is looking forward to the event?

Although seven in ten (71%) of Americans have never participated in a winter sport, over half (51%) of Americans claim to be interested in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

Women are less likely than men to have participated in winter sports with nearly 8 out of 10 American women (78%) never having participated, in comparison to the 64% of men. The most popular winter sports among men who have participated: alpine/downhill skiing (11%), ice hockey (10%), and snowboarding (10%).

Two out of three Americans (67%) plan on watching at least a little of the 2014 Winter Olympics, with 20% expecting to watch a lot of the sporting competition. Although 49% of Americans claim to not be interested in this year's Winter Olympics, 35% of those who lacked interest were still expecting to watch a little of the event.

The 2014 Winter Olympics have stirred up a significant amount of controversy, and has been boycotted by many due to Russia's treatment of LGBT people. Roughly 1 out of 10 Americans (11%) are not watching this year's Winter Olympics due to Russian political events and/or policies.

Note on Methodology

Total sample size was 1188 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 24th - 27th January 2014. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all US adults (aged 18+).

About YouGov

YouGov is an international full-service research and consulting company, which has pioneered the use of technology to collect higher quality, in-depth data for companies, governments, and institutions so that they can better serve the people that sustain them. www.research.yougov.com